Third wave: Coronavirus infections reach ‘all time high’ in Poland

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On Thursday EU leaders agreed in principle to tougher vaccine export controls. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told AstraZeneca, which makes the Oxford jab, it must “catch up” with EU deliveries before exporting.

However the bloc stopped short of the outright vaccine ban which many had feared.

Conservative MP and prominent Brexit supporter John Redwood hit back at Brussels on Twitter.

He tweeted: “The EU summit send out threats as member states argued over export bans and allocation of vaccine.

“It seems the EU does not feel the need to obey its own treaties over free trade and good relations with neighbouring states and companies.”

There is fury across the EU at the slow pace of the bloc’s vaccine rollout.

Whilst Britain has given at least one jab to over 44 percent of its population the EU figure is closer to 13 percent.

Europe is battling a third wave of coronavirus with new restrictions being imposed across France, Germany and Poland.

The EU is locked in an ongoing row with British-Swedish drugs maker AstraZeneca which it accuses of failing to honour its contract with the bloc.

AstraZeneca announced in January it would be unable to meet the EU’s order due to production problems in a European factory.

Brussels is demanding AstraZeneca jabs made in Britain are diverted to it instead but the company is refusing.

Earlier this month the EU allowed its member states to block vaccine exports to third countries.

Italy used this power to seize 250,000 AstraZeneca doses which were headed for Australia.

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There had been fears a total ban would be applied on certain countries, including the UK, but Thursday’s meeting decided against that for now.

Boris Johnson has warned Brussels vaccine “blockades” would not be “sensible”.

France president Emmanuel Macron had backed an export ban commenting: “I support the fact that we must block all exports for as long as some drug companies don’t respect their commitments with Europeans.”

AstraZeneca is expected to deliver 30 million vaccines to the EU by the end of March, less than a third of what was expected.

Coronavirus Act extended for a further six months

Addressing the company Ms von der Leyen said: “I think it is clear that first of all the company has to catch up.

“It has to honour the contract it has with European member states before it can engage again in exporting vaccines.

“We want to explain to our European citizens that they get their fair share.”

In January Mr Macron caused fury by falsely claiming the AstraZeneca jab is “quasi-ineffective” for those aged over 65.

The Government hopes to remove all coronavirus socialising restrictions from England by January 21.

On Saturday Mr Johnson confirmed the country remains on course for lockdown to be gradually eased.

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